Coyote in Love with a Star: Tales of the People

This is the story of a young Hopi girl who will be in her first Butterfly Dance. This children's book is an accurate presentation of the Hopi culture and the Hopi world view. It is written and illustrated by a Hopi man of the Sun Clan. This book is suitable for all children, including Hopi children, as it does not discuss sacred matters.

Marty Kreipe de Montano has modernized one of the classic characters found in the oral tradition of many Native American cultures. In this story, Coyote leaves the Potawatomi reservation and heads for the Big Apple, where he gets a job as Rodent Control Officer in the World Trade Center. But he never really gets used to living in Manhattan, with its noise and crowded streets. Homesick, he finds comfort in looking at the stars. One is so beautiful, he falls in love with her. They dance together in the sky. But he gets cold and lonely and begs the star to let him go. And so she does: for four days and nights, he tumbles to earth, where he lands in the middle of Central Park, creating what is now the reservoir. Now, when you hear the coyotes howling at night, know that they are hollering at the star which dropped their ancestor.The charming illustrations are done by Tom Coffin. The author has also included several pages of information about the Potawatomi people (both she and Coffin are members of the Prairie Band Potawatomi). She also includes information on Coyote as trickster-hero. The story line of this book was adapted from the Klamath traditional tale of the origin of Crater Lake.I recommend this book for young children.